


Storytelling and Honey Buns

by Holyangelheart



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Bisexual Shiro (Voltron), Fluff, M/M, Minor Lotura, Mutual Pining, Second-Hand Embarrassment, Slow Burn, changes perspectives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 22:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holyangelheart/pseuds/Holyangelheart
Summary: Keith is a librarian at the local library but every Friday he volunteers his day towards reading for the kindergarten classes at the Garrison Elementary school nearby. For a year Keith continued to read to the kids, but one teacher always caught his eye.It was nothing but a crush, but after Mr. Shirogane asks Keith if he wanted a honey bun, Keith finds himself second guessing that.





	Storytelling and Honey Buns

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry for [Sheith Reverse Bang](https://sheithreversebang.tumblr.com) 2018!  
> Thank you, [Jordan](http://whalechief.tumblr.com) for your amazing artwork and I am so happy to have worked alongside [Cherry](http://sheikofthesheikah.tumblr.com) as she wrote her version!  
> I hope you enjoy my piece!  
> Jordan's [art post](http://whalechief.tumblr.com/post/176251907833/one-of-the-pieces-i-did-for-the) and Cherry's [Fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422067)

* * *

 

 

Through the windows, Keith could see water droplets sliding down the glass. Outside, large dark clouds loomed overhead, casting a shadow as far as his eyes could see as rain fell over the school.

Yet, as Keith was surrounded by children in the library, it couldn’t be warmer as they brought high body temperatures and positive attitudes with them. He smiled at the large group of children who sat cross-legged on the comfortable carpet. He waited patiently as the children were allowed a few minutes to settle down before storytelling. The bottom of a large book rested on his lap as he waited for their attention before starting.

* * *

“Are you all ready?” He asked as he locked gazes with their teacher who smiled and nodded at him. He smiled back.

Once a week he would volunteer to read to the kindergarten classes at the Garrison Elementary school’s library. Today was just like any Friday for him as the classes came and went. Fridays were his day off from the local library he worked full time at, but he enjoyed spending it around the bundles of joys who were always full of questions and wonder. For the entire day, he would read to the different kindergarten and special ED students who always welcome him with open arms and kind hearts. This class especially held a special place in his heart, as it had the most adorable children there who always stood out at every reading session.

A hand shot out from the back of the room. A girl with shoulder length blonde hair and a bright green floral dress beamed at him with a toothy grin.

“Mr. Kogane, what story are you going to read?” she asked.

“Well, Pidge-,” Keith started as he pushed his red glasses up the bridge of his nose. She beamed as he immediately used her preferred name instead of Katie, “We’re going to read _Swan Lake_ today.”

Beside her, a boy with short dark brown hair wearing a light blue shirt whooped and cheered. “I love that story!”

“Me too, Lance!” Another boy named Hunk shouted in agreement on Lance’s other side. He wore a bright orange shirt and the three of them grinned at each other. The trio was practically inseparable and always sat beside each other at every session. Keith just knew that they also spent every possible second together outside of storytelling as well.

Behind them, the assistant librarian, a woman with dark brown curly hair with glasses smiled, along with the student’s homeroom teacher Mr. Shirogane.

Even from across the room, Keith could feel the warmth radiating off the man, and his own face heated up without fail. It was obvious to him how much the man genuinely cared for his students and they loved him back just as much. All of the students would look at their teacher with utmost respect and awe in their eyes. They never argued or fought when he was watching except for the times where Mr. Shirogane would ask a question about the story and nearly all of the students would raise their hands to get his attention. The _rare_ times when they had a substitute teacher or Mr. Shirogane is out of the room, they gush to Keith about how amazing he is. They never failed to present him with a gift on important dates or handwritten cards on the few times he was sick all year.

Sometimes they complimented him so much that Keith wondered if they knew he had a tiny crush on him. He also wondered if it was possible they were trying to set them up. But, they were just kids, right? That wouldn’t be possible at all.

Keith lifted the book in front of his face for a few seconds in order to calm his heart down. Mr. Shirogane was the hottest man he would lay eyes on for the rest of the day, and simply looking at him was enough to bring an embarrassed flush to Keith’s face. Keith preferred to gaze at his outfit since he could play it off as admiring his fashion sense, but he often lingered longer than was necessary.

The teacher wore a light purple button-up shirt that seemed almost grey with a purple tie that had dew drops cascading down its length. A brown backpack strapped to his back at all times. Keith never heard from Shiro specifically about why he consistently had one during storytelling, but he often saw the man reveal tissues, hand sanitizers, and sometimes even a snack for the kids if they asked him for something. Along with the backpack, his pants were a dark brown with a belt that secured them in place.

Keith’s eyes snapped up as he felt the student’s burning stares along with the teacher’s perplexed gaze as he grew silent in the middle of the page-completely forgetting he had a room full of eyes on him.

Keith smiled warily as the other pushed his silver prosthetic hand through the white floof of his bangs. Shiro’s hand rested on the shaved part of his undercut as he smiled at Keith. He dipped his head slightly and Keith focused on the scar that gave him more personality than anyone he’d met before.

All of the children looked back and forth between them. Pidge was the first to break the silence as she coughed loudly and the two boys beside her giggled. Keith rolled his eyes at the three and continued where he left off in the book.

The bell rung throughout the school as recess was announced. Everyone had the same recess time, but the kindergarteners also had an early release so their day was almost over. One by one, the students lined up in alphabetical order like they were taught to get their chance to hug Mr. Kogane goodbye.

Mr. Shirogane was already at the door, leading the kids out with a wave goodbye. Keith waved until the children were out of sight and the library’s door closed behind them. Finally, Keith was able to exhale a sigh of relief as he was left alone.

Children, Keith could handle, but men were another story.

Now alone, Keith pushed up the sleeves of his grey undershirt above his elbows, revealing the red dragon tattoo that covered his right forearm. He hadn’t planned for his T-shirt and glasses to match his tattoo, but he went along with the coordination anyway. He also wore a pendant and a black beaded bracelet to complete the set.

Coran, the head librarian at the elementary school, instructed him to log the books and return them to their rightful places on the shelves. He rolled the cart to one of the bookshelves and grabbed the stack of books that sat on top. As he reached for the next bunch, he saw a shadow cast over him, his eyes trailed up the figure and widened once he recognized who it was standing in front of him.

* * *

“Thanks for today, Keith,” he said with a smile, his left pointer finger trailing the tops of the books.

Keith beamed at him, his shoulders relaxing as he faced him completely. “No, thank you. Don’t tell the kids this, but your class is the best, Mr. Shirogane.”

“Oh, you don’t have to call me that. Mr. Shirogane was my father. Just Shiro is fine…” he said, trailing off. He smiled down at Keith. “Takashi is fine too.”

He was too busy staring to realize that the other was waiting for a response. “Oh, Shiro… then. I like the sound of that.”

Shiro’s right hand covered his mouth and the tip of his nose as he looked away. Keith decided to continue shelving the books and was surprised when he glanced up again to find the teacher still there.

“You know, uh, the other teachers and I tend to hang out in the teacher’s lounge when the kids leave for early release. Since you usually help with Coran for a few more hours, I was thinking you can stop by? I’ll treat you to a honey bun.”

“A honey bun?” He asked, “You know those have a lot of calories right?”

Shiro hung his head in defeat. “A guilty pleasure of mine. I make sure to only eat one a week… sometimes twice a week but I go to the gym right after work every day anyway.”

Keith didn’t have time to reply as the bell rung signaling the end of recess and Shiro’s break. Without a pause, Shiro reached out his hand to Keith who took it. He gripped firmly and shook as Shiro pulled him in for a hug.

His lips formed an “O” shape as Shiro patted his back three times-a few times too many-and winked at him as he retreated to the door. “I’ll see you in the lounge, okay?”

“Okay…” Keith waved back absently.

“Oho~” Coran teased as he emerged from his office in the back of the library with a towering stack of books. His reddish-orange hair and mustache stuck out like usual just like his casual New Zealand accent. “I’ve never seen _that_ before.”

“Funny,” Keith said as he returned to shelving books for the third time. “He’s just being a nice teacher.”

Coran huffed as he gently placed a heavy stack of books on the front desk. “I can see why you agreed to volunteer now after all those months of you refusing to come by.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I was busy.”

“Binging Netflix and young adult novels aren’t necessarily being ‘busy’ you know,” Coran said with air quotes.

“You do the same thing too, Coran,” Keith argued back. Although Coran was a middle-aged man, Keith often found him with his nose in a trending novel found in the Young Adult section of the county’s library.

Coran nodded. “Yes, sir, but I do not deny it.”

For the next few hours, Keith helped Coran around the library until it was time for him to drop by the teacher’s lounge. He was feeling slightly nervous as the hands on the wall clock ticked away. Would Shiro even be in the lounge waiting for him or did he completely forget about it? He felt like a teenager all over again who worried over seeing his crush outside of class. Even if it turned out that Shiro went home; at least he’d get a honey bun first. Or at least that’s what he kept telling himself.

Keith smiled softly at all the children near him as he passed through the halls; trying to avoid being stopped by any of them. Usually, when he was just walking to places, he was often stopped because of his black pleather backpack or his tattoo. Thus, he was usually the last one to arrive.

Based on Coran’s instructions, the Teacher’s lounge was actually on the other side of the school. They tended to keep the rooms divided by what grade level the students were since the school only had one level. A classroom beginning with the number ‘1’ was mostly for first graders, while ‘6’ was for sixth graders. However, the janitorial closets and Teacher lounges were the only ones that didn’t fit the rule

The Teacher’s Lounge was located in room ‘301’ despite the fact the surrounding rooms were prefixed with the number ‘4’ instead.

Keith was pleasantly surprised to see the back of Shiro’s head when he reached the lounge. The urge to run his hand through his hair was strong, but he bit his lip to keep himself in line. Before he could say something, Shiro already whirled around, a huge smile on his face as he stood.

“Keith!” He exclaimed, wrapping his hardened arms around Keith’s torso.

The sound that Keith made was a mix of a gasp and something dirtier he would never admit to anyone. Keith covered his face in shame, not realizing that what he was using was actually Shiro’s shoulder as he burrowed his face into the fabric. He breathed in a woodsy mix of cedar, mint, bergamot, and a hint of suede. It was intoxicating.

“Keith?” Shiro asked after a pause. He rubbed circles into the back of Keith’s shirt as he spoke near his right ear. “You all right?”

Keith leaned as far back as possible while Shiro kept his hold on him. His arms had fallen to his waist, the curves perfect for Shiro’s large hands. One was intensely warm like the sand on a beach touched by the blazing sun; the other as cool as a marble countertop used to mold chocolate.

A nervous laugh bubbled in Keith’s throat and he smiled warily at Shiro. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

It was then that Keith realized Shiro wasn’t alone. He pushed Shiro’s hands away as he noticed the other person in the room. Sitting at the round table behind Shiro was a woman with gorgeous white hair was the essence of puffy clouds, especially as her hair billowed down her back and shoulders. Her eyeliner was winged and her lips were tinted the color of red wine. She wore a light yellow blouse with short flared sleeves. A heart-shaped neckline made of silk and a detailed pattern covered her chest. She also wore a dark brown pencil skirt which led to closed toe brown heels with matching shoelaces.

She was stunning.

“Hello…” Keith waved to her, a little overwhelmed by her beauty.

The lady smiled back, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Keith.”

Keith immediately glanced at Shiro who rubbed the back of his neck, a habit that Keith was getting used to.

“Keith,” Shiro murmured, “I’d like you to meet Allura. She’s a sixth grade English teacher here at the school.”

He offered a hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Allura.”

Allura took it and shook his hand with a firm grip and released it quickly. “Don’t let me get in the way between you two. It’s my free period so I’m taking the time to eat lunch instead of hiding in my office.”

Shiro motioned to the other chair so that the three made a triangle. Keith sat awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Of course, he went there expecting Shiro’s offer to be a joke, or that he forgot about it, so he was taken off guard when Shiro started pushing quarters into the vending machine full of snacks.

“So which honey bun do you want?” he asked. “There’s the iced one, the limited edition Boston creme one, and an apple danish which doesn’t count but I think it’s the last one in the machine so feel free to chose.”

“Uh…The apple danish.”

“Good choice.” Shiro pushed the button. Keith watched as the spring started to push the Boston creme bun and then stopped before the pastry fell. Without a word, Shiro pushed in another four quarters and luckily got the iced honey bun behind it.

Keith was impressed. “Lucky. Usually when I do that both of them get stuck.”

Shiro and Allura laughed. “It happens all the time with this machine, but it’s the only place I can get my fix without letting the guilt stop me,” Shiro said.

Allura opened a plastic container which held two halves of a sandwich, baby carrots, and seedless purple grapes. She clearly won the lunch game.

Keith and Shiro gazed longingly at her sandwich which both of them realized had ham, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo on it. Simple, but a classic.

“Here,” Allura said as she placed one half onto the plastic cover and offered it to them. “You two can share if you don’t mind.”

The two of them look at each other. Shiro spoke first. “Do you want to Lady and the Tramp it?”

Keith hurt his chest as he busted a lung laughing. “There’s plastic knives here right? We can just cut it in half.”

“Right…” Shiro said as he got up to grab the said knife from one of the cabinets in the lounge. There were two soda machines, a Keurig, cabinets labeled as supplies, snacks, and other things a teacher would need to survive the day. Thus, there should be utensils somewhere. A drawer next to the sink was full of metal forks, spoons, and butter knives. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Keith said as he took the knife and cut the sandwich in close to equal proportions. He took his off the lid and pushed the rest closer to Shiro. He waited until Shiro brought his piece to his lips and the two ate in unison.

Simple, but a classic. The tomato was refreshing and added texture to the sandwich as the lettuce provided crunch. The mayo made the sandwich easier to eat and the ham was filling and tasted wonderful. Overall it was amazing, especially compared to a snack covered in sugar that had no nutritional value to offer. They moaned softly at the delicious goodness.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Keith mumbled as he smacked his lips together.

Allura snickered as the two ate in blissful silence. The two of them finished their sandwich and buns before Allura even got to her carrots. She retrieved the lid for the container and bid the two of them goodbye just as the bell signaled the end of lunch. For a second the two were mesmerized as they watched her leave, her hips swaying as her heels clicked on the floor. Her long hair flowed behind her in curly waves and the smell of her shampoo wafted in the air. Keith couldn’t detect the smell but it smelled expensive.

Keith snapped out of his trance and noticed that Shiro continued to watch despite Allura being long gone. He frowned. _I wish he looked at me like that._

“So…” Keith started as he pushed the envy forming in his heart. The halls that were full of children mere moments ago were now completely empty, except for a few stragglers. “Thanks for treating me.”

Shiro laughed, so loudly that Keith felt the table shake between them. “That was simply a kind gesture in return for always reading to the students.”

“Oh…”

“If possible, I’d like to treat you again,” he said. Shiro looked at Keith with his full attention, a lopsided grin on his face which took Keith’s breath away. “I promise I can do better than an apple danish.”

Keith nodded quickly as he grabbed his backpack. “What do you have in mind?”

“…Are you available tomorrow?”

He shook his head, “I’m filling in tomorrow to watch over the newest member of our staff.”

“I was thinking night time?” Shiro pressed further. His face inched closer to Keith’s and he could almost smell the honey bun on his breath. “We can go to a movie or maybe a…casual dinner?”

“Honestly? A movie would be great,” Keith said, “there’s a Marvel movie in theaters right now and I haven’t found the time to go.” He needed a break, plus if he went, later on, he probably would see it alone or with a friend.

Shiro’s eyes shone so brightly that Keith had to look away to calm his heart rate. “Great! I’ve been wanting to see it too. I’ll come by the library tomorrow and we can see what time would fit better with your schedule and stuff.”

With that, Shiro picked up his backpack and threw away his trash. The two of them said their goodbyes, this time with a simple wave, and went their separate ways.

 

\---

  
  
“So you have a date tonight, huh?” A voice mocked from beside Keith as he organized the front desk.

Since it was Saturday, a lot of people visited their public library. Saturdays were arguably the busiest days since it allowed people of all ages to stop by. With school and work being over for the weekend for most people, they chose the library as a good way to spend their time. A lot of people were checking out books, working on the computers, reading in the lounging area, or just dropping stuff off. Their teen section was full of young adults as they spent their weekend off reading for free. Keith was so happy to see the turn out as parents brought their kids for recreational fun. The public library was his favorite place as a child.

Keith rolled his eyes as he finally paid attention to the newest intern. “It’s not a date, Matt.”

“But he’s hot, right? This teacher Mr. Coran always mentions whenever he drops by.”

“How would you even know Mr. Coran when you’ve only been here for like a month or two?”

“Three, for your information,” Matt pointed out. He paused the conversation as a mother and child came over to check out a stack of books and Keith felt a swell of pride. “Even without him, you mention the teacher to the other librarians when they’re here! I can’t believe you won’t mention his name to me. I’m your gossip buddy!”

“You are not my gossip buddy,” Keith said.

“Gossip buddy, don’t say that,” Matt said. “Actually hold that thought, I gotta use the bathroom.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to tell me when you need to use the bathroom, Matt.”

“Yes, yes I do.”

While Matt went to the bathroom, Keith was caught off guard when a mismatched pair of hands waved in his face. “Huh? Oh, Shiro!”

Shiro laughed. “Sorry for not announcing myself. You were so lost in thought that I wanted to see when you’d notice.”

Keith laughed too even though it wasn’t necessarily funny. “You’re here early.”

“I figured what better place to arrive early to? I have a ton of things to occupy my time, _and_ I can bring something home with me,” he said with a wink.

Now Keith laughed genuinely, not noticing the way Shiro rubbed his neck that was tinted pink. “That’s a good line, Shiro. Does that work most of the time?”

“Shiro?” A voice said suddenly from the entrance of the library and both of them looked to find Matt there with a huge grin on his face. “Dude, you should have told me you were coming by!”

“Matt?” Shiro was just as surprised as Keith was as he pulled Matt into an embrace. “I didn’t know that this was the library you worked at!”

“Oh yeah, I actually preferred this library since I can work at any of the three in the county. So why are you here if not to see me?” Matt asked, his eyes immediately trailing to Keith’s and Keith could see the light bulb turn on above his head. A glimmer in his eyes and the tiny twitch of his lips told him that Matt connected the dots and wasn’t going to let him forget this moment. “I see.”

“I didn’t know the two of you knew each other,” Keith said after a moment of silence as he glared daggers into Matt’s skull.

Shiro beamed at him. “Yeah, Matt’s father is actually an old college professor of mine as well as a neighbor. I babysat Matt when I was a teen.”

Matt nodded his head in agreement. “Ugh, if you weren’t so cool I would have hated it. And now you’re the teacher of my sister. The universe works in mysterious ways.”

“Sister…?” Keith asked as he looked at Shiro for answers.

“Ah, Pidge is Matt’s sister. They’re like, what, fifteen years apart?”

Keith felt his mind implode.

“We’re fourteen years apart actually since I skipped a year in high school. It’s not that weird, really. I know someone with a twelve-year difference between them and their youngest sibling. Well actually scratch that since that person has an older brother, so make that sixteen years between the eldest and youngest,” Matt explained.

“Wow, how fascinating,” Shiro said. Matt elbowed him in the rib. He looked at Keith and offered a smile. “Yeah, the two of us are seven years apart at least so it’s not that bad.”

Keith stopped. “Wait, how old are you, Shiro?”

“I’m twenty-seven.”

“Oh…” Keith tilted his head. Age never popped up in his mind before. “You’re only two years older than me.”

Shiro grinned. “I didn’t realize we had an age gap. I hope you don’t think I’m too old or something.”

“Nah, you’ll probably age like a fine wine,” Keith murmured. He would love a sip of that wine. “I can’t leave until after five-thirty since we’re closed tomorrow and I’m the highest ranking person right now. Gotta make sure everything is fine before locking up. Is there a movie around seven?”

“Actually, there’s a showing at seven forty-five so that works perfectly.”

Keith looked at the clock on the wall. It was only three-thirty in the afternoon. He’d have to wait at least three hours until they made any progress. “I’m sorry you have to wait, Shiro.”

Shiro shook his head. “Are you kidding? I don’t remember the last time I could leisurely socialize while also having an excuse to ignore people at the same time.”

Matt nodded with a grin. “The duality of man.”

“Matt, shut up,” the two older adults said in unison as both were guilty of understanding memes to a degree.

Matt balled his hands into fists and acted as if a stake went through his heart. “When I said that last time you laughed, Shiro. I’m hurt. Love has changed you.”

“Love?” Keith asked out loud.

Shiro coughed loudly, almost as if he was choking. “You know what I’m just going to go check out the, uh, books…”

“Wow,” Matt said once Shiro made his escape to the non-fiction area of the library, essentially the entirely opposite side of the library where neither of them could see. “I’ve never seen him walk at such a fast pace before, and he was an athlete in high school and college.”

“Odd,” Keith said in agreement. He made a mental note about Shiro being an athlete since it made _so_ much sense. He glanced at Matt before returning to his librarian duties. “You should have told me that your sister was Pidge.”

“I didn’t realize the elementary school you were visiting was the same as theirs. In fact, my sister was here, you know.”

“What?” Keith asked. He looked to the left where the children and the teen section was. The little round tables and toys were somewhat visible from his position.

Matt rolled his eyes. “Was here, I said. I picked her up from school and then brought her here before my shift. We actually got here before you did so she was really excited about being able to see Mr. Kogane outside of school. Sadly you came right after my mom took her and left.”

“Your mom?” Keith asked. Now that he thought about it, he knew next to nothing about Matt or any of the other librarians for that matter. Pidge looked just like her brother now that he knew about their relationship. Well, except for the fact that Matt wore glasses and Pidge didn’t. Then again Pidge clearly loved to read a lot so the chance of her getting glasses when she gets older is quite high.

Of course, Keith wore glasses too so it wouldn’t be too bad. He was biased, though.

“Do you think Shiro would look good in glasses?”

“Shiro?” Matt asked. “Well I dunno, he’s not really my type.”

The look Keith sent Matt must have worked because Matt immediately started backtracking. “Shiro actually does now that you’ve jogged my memory. He wore them a lot in high school except for when he did sports. Once he graduated he used contacts more frequently.”

“Really? He wears contacts?” Keith asked, shocked. Shiro really was the perfect man. Now the urge to see him in glasses went up. “What a shame.”

Matt grinned at him and hummed a tune as he helped a man check out his books.

The rest of the day was busy as people came and went. Keith couldn’t help but watch for Shiro. It took him an hour to leave the non-fiction section and he didn’t leave empty-handed. Shiro browsed the entire library by closing time with a book from each major section. He even borrowed a Blu-ray DVD of John Wick

“I really should visit the library more often,” Shiro said with a huge smile on his face as he walked up to the counter with his stack of books. “It’s like shopping without all the fuss.”

Keith smiled back at him. “I understand. I felt that way all the time as a kid.”

By then, Shiro and Keith were one of the last people still around. Matt was already getting things finalized so they could go home. “You know, I’d like to hear about your time as a kid. I don’t recognize you from around here.”

“Ah…” Keith trailed off. He waved a hand through the air as he felt the mood turn sour. “I moved around a lot as a kid but there’s no point in digging up the past. You can sit in the lounge as I finish up, okay?”

All Shiro could do was nod. “Okay.”

\---

They decided to drive separately to Keith’s apartment so that Shiro could drive them to the theater. It turned out that both of them lived in the same area called Wildewood and were within jogging distance from each other. They lived near the Wildewood shopping center which had a bakery, a couple of department stores, the gym that Shiro mentioned, and even a few restaurants one of them being a Japanese place. Both of them agreed it was amazing. The theater was technically on the other side of the road-only five minutes away by car.

Once there, the red neon lights of the theater stood out in contrast to the construction site behind it against the bright starry sky above them. Shiro got out first and opened the door for him. It was a smooth move he’d need to remember to pay back when it’s his turn to drive.

The parking lot was quite empty as the two approached the entrance, but the inside was lively as they got their tickets. There were more families and couples than they expected who bided their time with the arcade games. They still had thirty minutes before they would be allowed in so Keith pulled Shiro into the photo booth and pushed three dollars into the slot. He wanted to take a strip of pictures to remember their time together. The two leaned close together and smiled.

For the second picture, Keith did a peace sign while Shiro said his was a victory sign. Next Shiro wrapped his left arm around Keith’s shoulders and Keith felt the heat rise to his cheeks. The last shot was of the two of them laughing as Keith tried to forget his embarrassment.

Outside of the booth, the two got the strips and waved it triumphantly. Keith brought a purse for him to use and he carefully placed both of the strips inside to keep them safe. After getting a large bucket of movie theater popcorn to share, they each bought a large coke that would definitely last them through the movie. It came out to around twenty dollars but they were totally going to get the free refill afterward to make it worth their money.

Inside of the theater, Keith and Shiro had chosen seats towards the back. Luckily they got the middle seats so it was the perfect view. They took turns holding the bucket after settling in and Keith wished that he had gotten a second bucket to make it easier to stuff his face. In the end, Keith just let Shiro hold it and he would reach in to grab a handful whenever he found out his was empty.

The theater was quite full since the movie was popular-some people totally came to watch it multiple times and he couldn’t blame them. He was so into it that he stopped looking down to grab his popcorn and would just reach his hand into the bucket hoping to find some. It was only halfway through the movie and the bucket was nearly empty.

When he wasn’t looking, their hands touched and the moment Keith looked up at Shiro automatically, the audience gasped in unison. “Sorry,” Keith murmured as he pulled his hand away.

“No worries,” Shiro whispered in return.

Keith didn’t want to admit it, but he didn’t feel sorry at all for touching Shiro’s hand. He could have sworn he felt a shock-probably from static electricity but it was perfectly timed regardless-and it made him want to touch him again.

Still, Keith went there for the movie so he needed to pay attention. It was difficult, though.

At the end of the movie, the two of them sat in shock. Since it was a Marvel movie they knew better than to leave before the credits finished. Keith explained that after learning the trick when Iron Man came out, he always made sure to wait until credits ended regardless of the movie he watched. It was also a tip he learned from Dream Daddy, but Shiro didn’t need to learn that tip.

Now that he thought about Dream Daddy he realized his favorite was Craig and the connection could never be scrubbed from his brain now. Shiro was totally Craig.

Shiro was _his_ Dream Daddy.

The realization shook him to his core.

 

At the end of the movie, Keith and Shiro silently watched until the credits rolled, knowing full well that there would be an ending scene that Marvel movies were notorious for. Still, after that, neither of them got up from their seats. Ever since Keith played Dream Daddy, he would watch until the end of the credits or at least until the employees had to clean up since he didn’t want to stand in their way. This time, however, they were able to watch the entire thing to pay tribute to all the people who had a hand in the production of the film. Keith followed Shiro out beaming with pride.

“That was great, wasn’t it?” Shiro asked.

Keith nodded. “It was! It might be my favorite in the series.”

“Mine too!” Shiro shouted. They buzzed as they talked about their favorite moments in the movie, a lot of them being the same.

Once outside, Shiro led Keith to the car and they both got in. It was warmer inside and they both smiled at each other.

Keith didn’t want the night to end. “Do you want to check out the local arcade?”

Shiro looked confused for a moment, but then his face broke out into a smile. “Sure, I haven’t been there in a while though.”

“Oh, I’m totally gonna win.”

“Bring it on.”

The bright neon lights glared at him, but he ignored the lights as he stared at Shiro. The first game they found after getting tokens were the basketball hoops. Shiro decided to go first to show him the ropes and Keith was completely mesmerized. One after the other Shiro made three-pointers, no net whatsoever. Even when the hoop started moving side to side, it didn't faze him at all and he got every single point.

Once finished, Shiro grinned at him and wiped the sweat off from his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, flashing his abs. Keith wanted to thank everyone for making tonight possible.

"You're up, Keith," Shiro said. He flashed a smile and collected the tickets that curled and touched the floor. He added tokens for Keith without him asking and he smiled at that. It was small but really sweet.

Without another word, Keith made all his shots except for one that bounced off the rim and fell over. He frowned as the buzzer went off but didn't have time to sulk as Shiro clasped his shoulder and squeezed.

"You did good, buddy," he said, "you get to pick the next game."

Keith grinned. "You're gonna regret that."

Shiro grinned back and Keith led him to his secret skill: the motorcycle game. The grin immediately got wiped off his face. "Shit."

"Language, Mr. Shirogane," Keith taunted. He swayed towards the game. "You go first."

Shiro hesitantly got on and looked confused at the controls. Keith only waited a second before he leaned over Shiro, his hands on both of his as taught him how to control the handlebars and what to press when playing. He was so immersed that he realized he was rambling while Shiro just stared at him; completely dumbfounded.

"Was that too much?" He asked.

Shiro just shook his head. "You know a lot more than you let on."

He straightened as their faces were so close together, Keith could feel Shiro's breath on his cheek. "Hurry up and play so I can go on next."

He scoffed. "You just want me to lose faster."

"You're right," he said. "Now go."

Shiro was practically a professional with how he maneuvered the controls and he won second place since he decided to look back at him to wink and the computer slipped right past him. He immediately got off but was proud that he got second and not the last place. Still, he wasn't prepared for Keith to put him to shame as he got first place and with such record timing that he also won on the leaderboard. All the names on the game spelled "Keith" and Shiro audibly gasped. "You cheater."

Keith shrugged as he twirled the tickets that he won from the game. "You told me to pick next. Your loss."

For the rest of the night, until the Arcade closed, the two continued to try to one-up the other. In the end, they had a tie despite playing all the fighting, rhythm, and even the dancing games. They cashed their winnings and got matching figurines from a mecha space cartoon currently on Netflix. Shiro got the red ranger while Keith got the black one from different employees and was so shocked when they faced each other with their prize that they busted out laughing at the coincidence. They made the plan to watch the series from the beginning together during their summer vacation.

It was finally time for them to go home, but as they reached the car, their stomachs growled so loudly that Keith instinctively checked if there was an animal somewhere nearby. Shiro blushed as Keith stood in front of him to protect him from the possible threat and confessed to it being his stomach instead.

"Maybe we should go to McDonald's or something?" Shiro asked.

Keith touched his rumbling stomach and nodded. "I need a Big Mac."

Shiro laughed and wrapped his left arm around Keith's shoulder, huddling him close as he leads him to the passenger door. He opened it and gestured to the seat. "You first."

Keith rolled his eyes, a smile on his lips as he took the gesture in stride and sat down. Shiro gently closed the door before going around the back of the car over to the driver's side. They drove to McDonald's and didn't have time to turn the radio on since it was only around the corner.

After they made their order, they sat in the parking lot in order to enjoy their meal to the fullest. Both of them got Big Macs and feasted on it. Keith finished his first, leaving Shiro to eat on his own as he sipped his coke.

"So, Keith," Shiro said after he finished the last bite, "you seemed to really know how to ride the motorcycle back there. Do you have one?"

He shook his head. "No, but I used to."

"What happened to it?"

It was a simple question, but somehow it wasn't a simple one to answer. When he finally pulled his thoughts together, he expected Shiro to have moved on. Instead, he focused all of his attention on him.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Keith."

Keith shook his head again. "No...I want to, Shiro."

Shiro nodded, inviting him to continue.

"It...belonged to my dad. He was a great firefighter and he enjoyed riding in the free time that he had. I always wanted to ride one, but after he died...I had to sell it in order to pay for his funeral." He squeezed the empty Big Mac box and he gazed at the dented cardboard in his hand. "Plus, the home wouldn't let me keep it."

"Keith..." Shiro trailed off. "You were in a home too?"

Keith paused, his head snapping up to see Shiro looking at him with eyes full of pain and understanding. "Too?" He asked.

"My parents died when I was thirteen in a car accident. It’s actually how I got my prosthetic. I thought I was too old to get adopted especially since I’m a minority with a disability but a kind old couple adopted me who were also Japanese. That's how I got the name Shirogane, but Takashi was the name my biological parents gave me. I can't remember my last name though."

Shiro looked down at his lap. “They paid for everything, even my education. And I don’t know how else to repay them.”

Keith was at a loss for words. He nodded along the entire time and was truly touched by Shiro’s past. He rested a hand on Shiro’s right hand and smiled. "Is that why you went into teaching?"

Shiro tilted his head back and forth. "I never thought about it that way, but yeah."

"For me," Keith started, "I remembered my dad reading to me a lot when I was young. Even if I had a sitter or someone to watch me, my dad always made sure to read a book to me before bed. When he died, books were the only things keeping me...sane."

Shiro rested his hand on Keith's, his eyes glossy as tears seemed to threaten to fall. Keith continued. "I immersed myself in books. I was almost sixteen by then, but the home was hell. There were kids of all ages, some were as young as I was when my mother died. So young that a lot of them didn't even know how to read and no one cared."

Keith rubbed the back of Shiro's hand with a forlorn smile. "It was then that I started to read to the kids. I loved seeing their faces light up and it must have been what kept my dad going. I watched as they progressed and by the time I left, the other kids started to read to themselves and each other. The older ones in the group continued too. I understood then that it was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."

"That's beautiful, Keith." Shiro smiled. "You have a gift."

Keith rubbed his nose. "Thanks and you do too."

“We should...probably get you home, huh?” He asked.

 

They both looked at the clock on the dash and winced. It was almost midnight.

Shiro turned the radio on and the two drove back to Keith’s place in silence, but only because Keith felt that a lot had been said without it being awkward.  
When they finally reached the apartment complex, Keith really didn’t want the night to end, but he had an early morning tomorrow and he was sure Shiro did too.

“I had a really fun time tonight, Shiro,” Keith said. Thankfully Keith lived on the bottom floor so he didn’t have to walk up and down flights of stairs every day. He snapped his fingers remembering the photos and dug into his purse in search of them. “Here’s yours…”

Shiro took the strip and grinned at the picture. “Thanks, I’ll treasure it.”

“You don’t have to,” Keith mumbled without thinking.

“No, I will,” Shiro said, holding the pictures away from Keith’s grasp in case he tried to take it back. “It's our first date.”

“Date?” Keith asked as his voice became higher.

“Uh,” he stammered, “I mean the beginning of a long friendship.”

Keith smiled. “Yeah, of course.”

“Aha,” Shiro smiled warily. “I guess I’ll see you next week?”

“Hm?”

“A-At the library! I mean the school’s library when you come to read next week,” he said, “for the children.”

Keith smiled wider this time and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. He stuck his hand out for Shiro to grab and shook his hand. “I’ll see you at the Garrison, Shiro.”

They waved goodbye before Keith went inside and Shiro walked away.

 

\---

 

“He must think I’m an idiot,” Shiro groaned the following Monday in the Teacher’s Lounge. Today he wore a white button up shirt with a black tie and matching black slacks.

All weekend he stressed about whether Keith caught on to his flirting or not. Was he too strong? Was Keith disgusted with him? What if he was straight as an arrow?

Beside him, Allura and Coran rolled their eyes as he went on and on about how disastrous he was on Saturday night. “Or he thinks I’m not into him and I’m not sure which one is worse.”

Allura and Coran looked at each other, not saying a word. They sat back, listening to the way Shiro wallowed in his own self-pity. Coran wore a similar outfit to Shiro’s but he had a striped orange and black tie. Allura wore her puffy white cloud hair in a high ponytail. The length of her hair flowed down. Today she wore a peach colored blouse and a muted burgundy pencil skirt.

“Guys,” he pleaded, “I need help.”

Allura sipped her tea and closed her eyes. “You’re going to have to confess or deal with this until he confesses.”

“Keith? Confessing?” he asked, “he’s not into me, Allura.”

Coran opened his mouth to object but Allura just shook her head.

Shiro sighed as he slouched down into his chair. He sighed even louder as he crossed his arms. “I’ve liked him since the beginning of the school year.”

Coran twirled the end of his mustache in thought. “Then it’s already been a year, you can wait for a tick longer, Shiro.”

“I’m not sure I can, though.”

Allura slapped her hands down on the roundtable and glared at him. “Where is the Shiro I knew in college who took exams every single day for a week and lived off of energy drinks and didn’t sleep a wink? Where is the Shiro that helped me plan my wedding on a short notice just so I could have the cliché June wedding of my dreams and orchestrated the whole thing? Where is that Shiro? He wouldn’t be acting like a lovesick teenager just because he thinks his crush doesn’t like him back.”

Shiro held her gaze and a fierceness returned to his teary eyes. He stood up and placed his hands on his hips. “You know what? You’re right. I am better than this.”

“Yes, you are,” Allura encouraged.

“I should just go straight to the library and tell Keith how I feel!” Shiro beamed, his eyes sparkling. He balled his hands into fists as if he was going to punch the air. “I should leave right now!”

“That’s not what I meant at all,” Allura said, shutting him down.

Coran looked up from his cell phone before pocketing it. “Shiro, Keith wouldn’t like it if you left work early and abandoned the children.”

He looked dejected as he sat back down in his chair, losing momentum. Allura patted his shoulder with a small smile. “It’s okay, Shiro. You’ll be able to tell him soon enough.”

“You’re right, Allura,” he said, “as always.”

She nodded with a content smile. “Always remember that, my friend.”

Coran looked between the two. “I can never see how you two dated.”

“Really?” they asked in unison.

“You’re a good match for each other on paper. Both graduated from the same university, went into the same field, and are best friends,” he continued, “yet I think you two would always be competing and can never see eye to eye.”

Allura and Shiro looked at each other and shrugged.

“Allura likes to be the boss in our relationship,” Shiro said after a while, “so I agree with you completely, Coran.”

Allura scoffed.

“I did love her though,” Shiro said immediately after. He looked at Allura with sincere eyes. Eyes unmistakably full of love, a type of love that just never goes away. “Just…not the way I should have.”

“Shiro…”

Coran stood up, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. “Lunch is almost over so I’m going to head back to the library. I’ll…catch you two later.”

Shiro shot up from his chair after Coran walked out of the room. He should have left first, but an awkward silence grew between them. He dragged himself to the vending machine as he pushed dollar bills for his daily honey bun. He watched as the machine whirred loudly, struggling to push his honey bun out. When he reached for it and straightened, he felt a warm hand touch his elbow.

“Shiro…,” Allura whispered. “You know that I love you, right?”

Shiro’s eyes widened. He smiled. “I know.”

She reached her arm around Shiro’s waist and Shiro rested his chin on the top of her head. Allura patted his back and removed her arms. She then wiped the corners of her eyes and sniffled. “Let’s go, the students are going to line up soon.”

* * *

Shiro smiled sadly as he watched Allura wipe her tears away and followed her into the hall, only to be met with four familiar figures stopping them from advancing further. “…Keith?”

Before him, Keith was being squished by his three infamous kindergarteners. Pidge with her huge toothy grin had her arms wrapped around Keith’s neck, practically strangling him. An evil glint of her eyes sent a chill down his spine. “Oh, Shiro!” She shouted as she hopped off of the poor librarian and bunny hopped to give him a wide hug.

Lance and Hunk gave Keith one last squeeze before bumbling over to join in. Shiro smiled down at his students warily. He noticed Keith holding a paper bag in his hands, the sides dented as he squeezed them tightly. He lifted his gaze to find a shadow across Keith’s face as he was unable to meet his eyes. “Keith…?”

Keith looked at him, but the bright and cheery vision he had of him was long gone. His clothes were muted this time, his shirt was a depressing brown and he wore black denim jeans. He also wore black fingerless gloves with a patch missing on both and a black necklace that wrapped around his neck a few times with a silver band as the focal point. Keith didn’t offer a smile and his face appeared to darken when he finally acknowledged Allura’s presence.

What could have made him look that way?

“Keith, is something wrong?” he asked. He stepped towards him with the children still clinging to him and reached for Keith’s arms. “Keith?”

Instead, Keith backed away, clutching the bag even tighter in his grasp as if it was the only thing keeping him grounded. He averted his gaze with his voice barely a whisper. “I’m fine.”

“Mr. Kogane,” Hunk whispered, already tearing up at the exchange.

Keith offered Hunk a smile and patted the boy’s head. He smiled at the other two as well before walking away.

“Keith, wait!”

“Shiro.” Allura stopped him. “It’s better if you don’t pursue him.”

“But why?” Shiro looked at his students as tears streamed down their faces. He squatted so that they were eye level and smiled sadly. “Kids…There’s no reason for you to cry. What happened?”

Lance was the first to speak up through their sudden wailing as the trio tried to explain the odd exchange. “Mr. Kogane heard you and Ms. A-A-A-Allura t-talking.”

His gaze snapped to Allura and she mouthed ‘sorry’. Keith must have heard him tell Allura that he loves her. Just how much did he overhear?

As Shiro stood upright, he felt six hands tug on his shirt as the three hung on. “Yes?” he asked.

“Are you and Ms. Allura dating?” Lance asked, finally calm.

Allura shook her head as she leaned forward to pat his head. “We used to, but I’m married now.”

“Rats.” He said with a pout and Allura laughed.

Hunk spoke up next as he tugged harder on Shiro’s pants to get his attention. “Are you and Mr. Kogane dating?”

A grin immediately brightened up his face. “I want to.”

Pidge got all of their attention as she clapped. “Go get Mr. Kogane, Shiro!”

Shiro looked at Pidge and she grinned at him while giving him a thumbs up. "Thanks, Pidge."

She nodded and so did Lance and Hunk. Shiro hugged them all before running after Keith. It took Allura a second before everything sunk in. "Wait, your class!" she shouted, but he was already gone.

Shiro knew immediately that Keith would be in the school's library. His mind was racing as his feet moved. Just how much did he hear? Did he hear his confession of love to Allura? His surroundings blurred and his heart was thumping in his chest like the beat of a drum. The library's sign came into view and through the glass doors, he could see Coran at the front desk with the paper bag sitting on top of it. Yet Keith was nowhere to be found.

"Shiro?" Coran asked as Shiro entered the room.

"Coran! Where's Keith?" He asked and immediately hunched over the closest bookshelf, trying to regain his breath.

Coran looked at him, but his eyes were unreadable. "He just left."

"He did? I-," he stammered, "I saw him with the bag so I thought he would be here."

Coran just shook his head. "I'm not sure where he went."

Shiro frowned. "A-Are you sure? Do you know where he would be? I need to clear things up with him and...tell him how I really feel."

Coran looked him up and down as if searching for something. Finally, he smiled and his demeanor returned to his normal cheery self. "I'm sorry, Shiro, but he must have gone home."

"Oh," Shiro said, "if you see him, can you tell him I was looking for him?"

When he was about to turn around, Coran cleared his throat, causing Shiro to look at him. Coran pointed down towards the desk he stood behind and a light bulb turned on over Shiro's head. Coran smiled a wide toothy smile that he didn't show often and pointed to the bookshelf Shiro was leaning on. His lips moved, reading: "Hide" and Shiro understood completely as he ducked behind the book covered shelves.

A third voice filled the air after both Shiro and Coran's had dispersed. "Is he gone?"

Coran nodded and went to the paper bag to remove the items that were inside. It had contained a Ziploc bag with a sandwich inside, an apple, and an iced honey bun still in the wrapper. Coran placed all the items on the far end of the desk where another office chair sat in front of it. "You brought your own lunch?" he asked.

The top of Keith's head popped up as he warily looked back and forth just to make sure that the two of them were alone. Shiro peeked from the side of the bookshelf and ducked behind it when Keith's eyes seemed to look at him.

Keith flopped down in the chair and sighed. "Coran, what am I going to do?"

Coran sat back in the other chair with no sound at all and twirled the end of his reddish mustache. "About what, Keith?"

Keith swirled in the chair, his hair blurring at the speed. He grabbed onto the end of the desk to stop the world from turning. He sighed again, loudly.

Shiro could barely see the top of the desk as Keith reached for the honey bun. Rather than grabbing it roughly to open it, Shiro couldn't hear the crumbling of the wrapper. Instead, he watched as Keith touched the wrapper with the tips of his fingers. His eyes were full of pain as his hand lingered on it.

His mouth moved through different forms, a scowl, a frown, a sad smile that made Shiro's heartache. Yet Keith's eyes never left the honey bun. "Shiro's in love with Allura, Coran."

"What?" Coran asked.

"He loves her," he said. "They dated."

"Keith." Coran moved closer to Keith. "Did you hear the whole conversation?"

Keith shook his head and Coran smiled sadly.

"Keith, you need to hear it from Shiro himself."

Keith looked up to disagree but then shook his head. "I can't."

Coran frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't know if I can handle it." Keith shuddered. "I can't."

Coran took a deep breath. "I'm going to grab something from my office, okay? You can stay here but don't forget about work. I'll be back in a tick."

Shiro watched as Coran walked to the back of the library where his office is and waited until he shut the door to walk closer. He didn't say a word as Keith continued to stare at the honey bun, tracing the white frosting with his pointer finger, drawing swirls on the transparent plastic.

"Sorry, we're closed," Keith said without looking up.

Shiro laughed lightly. "How can you be closed?"  
  
Keith's head lifted up so quickly that he got whiplash and Shiro jumped back in surprise. "S-Shiro! What are you doing here?" He asked as he pushed the honey bun to the side.

"To see you," he replied as he walked towards him. He stopped at the front desk and squatted so they could see each other eye to eye. "I need to see you, Keith."

"...You are," Keith said, "right now."

"It's not the same," Shiro said.

Keith frowned and Shiro smiled.

"Keith, I'm not dating Allura."

He leaned in closer, his frown deepening. "You're lying."

"I'm not, I swear!" Shiro pressed his palms together, pleading. "I love her more than she knows, but not romantically, Keith. At least, not anymore."

Keith sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Explain."

Shiro stood up and pressed his palms on the desk so he hovered over Keith. "Keith, Allura's married."

"What?" His mouth hung open as the words registered in his mind.

"She's married to the Principal here, Keith."

"To Principal Lotor?" He asked.

Shiro nodded. "They've been married for five years now, Keith."

Keith looked at him and then looked away. "That doesn't change the fact you love her."

Shiro sighed. Keith was right, he could still love Allura despite the fact she got married. He walked around the desk and pushed Coran's chair back for him to sit on. Now the two of them didn't have the desk between them, only their own walls left. "Allura was my first love and relationship, Keith. She's a person I will never forget, but there's a reason why we're not together."

Keith crossed one leg over the other and lifted his chin.

Shiro took it as a sign to continue so he did. "We wanted different things. I want a family, but not until I'm settled in and confident in my ability to care for them. I was still a wild party animal in university and I wasn't ready for any commitment. I love Allura, but in university, I realized that I don't just like women and at the time...and the shock was too much for Allura at the time."

Keith blinked and uncrossed his arms.

"She's fine now, but one night when we were separated, I had a one night stand in my senior year. I don't remember who the guy was, but I discovered that I lean more towards men than women. Allura was just special, Keith, and so are you."

"I...that must have been a lot for you, Shiro."

Shiro smiled and leaned forward, pressing his hand on Keith's. "I mean it, Keith. I really like you. The passion I feel for you is...similar to the passion I had for Allura, if not more."

"Shiro," Keith looked down at their hands and lifted his own so that he now held Shiro's. He squeezed. "I love you."

Shiro nearly fell off the chair. "W-What? You do?"

"You don't?" Keith asked, his face contorting as if in pain.

Shiro shook his head so hard he thought it might fall off. "I-I do...I do! I do...too, Keith."

Keith smiled. "Okay, we might be moving too fast."

"I've liked you since the beginning of the school year, Keith."

"The...beginning of the school year?" Keith asked. "It's already May."

Shiro smiled shyly. "Yeah..."

"So since...last year?"

Shiro nodded, a bit embarrassed. "I thought you were cute from the first time I visited the library when you started. It blossomed from there."

"I..." Keith covered his mouth and Shiro could see the red tinge of his ears. "I thought you were cute then too."

"Oh?" Shiro's face lit up as he rubbed the back of his head. He laughed as he bowed a bit.

"Heh." Keith laughed.

“You know,” Shiro started to say as he tried to calm down. “You can still call me Takashi if you want instead of Shiro.”

“T-Takashi?” Keith asked. “Aren’t first names intimate in Japanese culture?”

Shiro’s face flushed crimson red. “Y-Yeah, they are.”

Keith blushed in response and the two of them were a couple of blushing idiots until they heard muffled cheering from outside the glass doors. They stood up and saw two large groups of children and Allura who were all clapping. At the front of the crowd with her face squished against the glass was none other than Pidge whose grin was practically from ear to ear as she had a glint in her eyes.

"Pidge!" Shiro gasped as Lance and Hunk made kissy faces at them through the glass. His gaze snapped to Allura's as she looked apologetic but not enough for him to let it go.

Allura opened the door to wave at them. "Sorry, you left your class and Pidge rounded them all up to spy on you. I decided this was your punishment for trying to leave the children by themselves. Even if your reason is love, you can't shake your responsibilities, Shiro."

Shiro couldn't respond to that because as usual, she was right.

"Did you two seal the deal?" A voice asked from behind them, causing them to jump up in surprise. Coran just laughed as he waved to Allura and the kids. "Those were loud love confessions."

"O-Oh," they said in unison. They looked at each other and then looked away, rubbing the back of their heads as their faces turned as bright as tomatoes.

"Kiss!" Hunk shouted from the door as he poked his head in.

All of the children started chanting, earning doors opening in the halls as Teachers poked their own heads out to see what all the commotion was about.

Shiro looked at Keith and then down at his lips. Those lips had been haunting him for months to the point that he could never take his eyes off of Keith during the reading sessions with the children. He wanted to kiss him at the movies too, but he was too nervous to follow through.

Now he had an entire crowd rooting for him, but he couldn't do it unless Keith wanted to as well. "Keith...may I?" He asked, holding his breath.

Keith looked up at him and just as his mouth moved to either agree or refuse, Shiro wasn't sure, but in a second, Keith's face was right up against his own, their lips pressed against each other.  
The smell of cherries wafted in the air and as Shiro blinked, the kiss was over and his lips were warm.

"Oh no, you don't." He said as he pulled Keith towards him once again for another kiss. This one lasted longer, eight seconds, nine, ten...a cough from both Allura and Coran startled them apart.

Yet as Shiro watched as Keith's breathing was labored just like his, he knew that Keith didn't want it to end either,

The children had mixed responses. Some were giggling, others were fake puking, and those who could whistle were using the ability to their advantage. Lance cheered for them to do it again.

They looked at each other, faces bright in shame, but Shiro made the mental note to do it again the next time he has the chance.

"Come on, lover boy," Allura called to Shiro as the two wouldn't stop looking at each other. "It's time for you to teach your class."

Shiro smiled a lopsided grin as he pushed his right metallic hand through his hair. The coldness was refreshing against the heat of his forehead, but he wouldn't have it any other way. "Keith, I'll see you later?"

Keith grabbed the honey bun from the desk and pushed it against Shiro's chest. He smiled. "Of course, _Takashi_."

Shiro’s face reddened as a huge goofy smile spread across his face. He followed Ms. Allura and the children out, waving his prosthetic hand in the air as he said goodbye.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This was my first bang of any kind and I have honestly learned a lot about myself through this journey. Having two partners and getting to write for Jordan's amazing artwork that was included in the fic! I know that the clothing for the first picture isn't included (I'm pretty sure I described the second picture instead) but I wanted to tie the two scenes together!
> 
> Anyways, thank you again!


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